not knowing a whole lot about alignment, I think these numbers indicate a low quality job... thoughts?

Also, I asked about the RF caster being out of spec on their printout and he said that 'they got it as close as possible' and any further adjustment requires shims' (I thought shims were a natural part of setting alignment)

BTW, the 'before' settings are what I got after installing all new bushings, tie rod ends, ball joints, shocks, brakes, etc...

(a * means that this setting is out of spec on as listed on their printout)

Before After wheel setting

.69 .66 LF Camber
5.58 5.58 LF Caster
-.51 -.06 LF Toe

1.35 1.17 RF *Camber
4.78 4.78 RF *Caster
-.46 -.01 RF Toe

-.91 -1.01 LR *Camber
.14 .01 LR Toe

.84 .63 RR *Camber
.19 .04 LR Toe
----------------------------------------------------------
Front:

-.66 -.51 *Cross Camber
.80 .80 *Cross Caster
-.98 -.07 total toe

Rear:

.32 .04 Total Toe
-.03 -.02 Thrust Angle

 

Thr RF Camber numbers are not right at all and it should come in to be close to the LF number. The front toe-in figures are also too wide apart.

IMHO, Firestone stores sucks at just about everything. I would go to a reputable auto repair facility that has new computerized equipment and trained technicians. If there is a Discount Tire in your area, I would talk to them.

I use this link for alignment specs for my 87: http://www.vbandp.com/instructions/h...ruct/align.htm I use the "Advanced Street" specs for autocross and they work very well for the street with no excessive tire wear. You might find the "Dailey Driver specs better if you only do street driving.

The note at the bottom of the table states that the specs are symettrical and not for each wheel. Print this page and go find a good alignment shop.

 

I took my 94 to a Firestone place [U]once[U] for an alignment...they said it would be about $300 because their computer figured the car was "an exotic" I told them, "it's a Chevy" and left. What a bunch of morons.

 

What the hell kind of crock is that? I'd demand a full refund and go elsewhere.

 

Well, I thought the 'lifetime alignment' was a good deal at $129, but the obviously were not very accurate this time... I will take it up with the manager and probably take it somewhere else to have the 'advanced street' settings done...

 

Helluva deal, screwed up for life for ony $129! Tell them you want a contact number for a regional service rep unless they give you a full refund w/ no BS.

 

Castor can't be adjusted without changing out the shims, which is easy to do.

Your rear camber is worse than before...? Maybe the hosers couldn't figure out how the cam bolts work.



What a joke! I was considering them but may I'll stick to my own crude methods.

 

Well, there's nothing wrong w/ Firestone stores per se or any other outlet. This of course can vary from store to store, no matter what the francise. It depends on how the place is run and of course, the competency of the person doing the alignment. The best thing to do with alignments is to ask around and find out who are the good alignment people in your area. It could be a tire store, a hole in the wall independent garage, dealerships or any or all of the above. The C4 is not anymore complex to align than most other vehicles on the road today. Nearly every car and many other vehicles now require four wheel alignments. I had my Vette aligned at the Buick dealership across the street from where I work and the guy did a hell of a job to get it to the specs I wanted. He'll get the job again the next time too. I can do it at home but it's very time consumming. I generally only check it before and after when something is removed and replaced on one end or the other. And then I just bring it back to where it was. But when it's time for the whole thing to be done, it's much more time-effective for me to give a pro a few bucks and be done with it.

 

try sears autocenter i have always been pleased with them

 

I will never have work done at a chain store. Never.

 

Honestly, the best alignments in my town are at the Lincoln Dealership. I have had our Toyota Camry aligned there, and they did an excellent job. They are also quite cheap at $50 for a front end alignment.

Just find somewhere local that people say is good. Price should come second, but sometimes you get both.

GT6

 

I have Firestone lifetime alignments on all my cars. Have done so for 20+ years (well, back then it was a 5-yr alignment...)

Some firestones suck, some are OK, a few are great.

Based on your printout, I'd say this is one of the ones that sucks.

If you want it done right the first time, get a refund from firestone and take it to a good independent alignment shop.

OTOH if you want to keep your car in alignment at a reasonable cost go try another Firestone. For me it's worth a little hassle finding the right firestone when I move to a new city vs. the money I'd pay to get my cars aligned elsewhere. To get the same frequency of alignments I'd be paying >$1000/yr if I was paying for each one.

Richmond is a big enough city that I'm sure you can find a competent firestone there.

 

Look for the Snap-On Tools or MAC Tools truck running around town and ask the driver who has the best alignment technician. The tool guys know all the local mechanics because they sell tools to them on a weekly basis. With new vehicle designs come new tool requirements so technicians are constantly buying tools and the tool sellers know who the good ones are by the tools they buy. You might also look in the phone book for the Snap-On guy.

I think I would avoid any chain simply because the pay at one of those places will not be enough to attract and keep a mechanic with a lot of experience. The good ones generally go where the better money is and that would be a good local independent shop or a dealership.

 

Dunn Tire gets my vote in the Northeast, (Rochester, NY). I just had mine done this week to verify what they had worked on last year. They have a new Hunter laser alignment, and the tech knew what he was doing. On my 91, he started with the back end, then went to the front, then again to the back. The tech spent 45 minutes on the car, gave me a print out, and explained everything while he was doing it. Two years ago when I purchased the car, it had $1200.00 worth of new tires, but the alignment was out in left field. The same technician as this past week spent over an hour on the car to get it perfect. All this for a whopping $50.00 for a four wheel alignment. They get my vote hands down!!!

 

Asking around is the best, WORD OF MOUTH. Also, some race shops can sometimes recommend people.
I have found that Mom/POP type places that are trying to survuve, and have for years are worthy as they probably know whats going on.

 

Man, not only does he get my vote, I wish they had that kind of prices here!

 

Hmmm another Firestone aligment issue, yep been there and through all that. Their lifetime alignment causes a good set of GSCs to wear out real quick then they blamed it that all my suspension parts were toast. Hmmm interesting because those same "failed" suspension parts are now running a second set of D3's so that's about 35K miles now and the system is as tight as it ever was. I went back to Chevy and let them align it. It has since been perfect.

My suggestion stay as far away from Firestone as the road will allow. You want the alignment done right, take it to your local Chevy dealer.

 

wouldn't take my bike to Firestone.